Methods for computational modeling to guide intratumoral therapy

Abstract

Methods are presented for simulating drug movement within a model of a tumor that is mapped to the specific anatomy of the corresponding tumor in a patient as determined by imaging. With a segmentation of the tumor into distinct interconnected compartments and pre-determined initial parameters for the distributed tissue diffusivities and perfusion levels, the disclosed techniques can be used to predict the drug concentration throughout the tumor as a function of time, as well as the accumulation of drug in the rest of the body. In this way, advantageous initial parameters may be determined using the model. It is also possible to predict drug concentration throughout the tumor for a given intravenous injection of drug. Such a model serves an important role in treatment planning for lung tumors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for intratumoral drug treatment, comprising:
 obtaining an electronic image of a tumor;   generating a drug distribution model based on the image, the model comprising a plurality of compartments, each compartment being classified as either a tissue compartment or a vasculature compartment based on the obtained image, and wherein each compartment has one or more adjacent compartments with a shared boundary between the compartment and each adjacent compartment;   conducting one or more simulations of drug movement over time using the drug distribution model, each simulation having a set of one or more initial parameters, wherein the drug movement between each pair of adjacent compartments has a magnitude and a direction according to the classifications of the respective compartments; and   determining a set of one or more advantageous initial parameters based on the one or more simulations.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the magnitude and direction of drug movement between adjacent tissue compartments is based on a difference in drug concentration between each compartment, a tumor diffusivity coefficient, and a size of the shared boundary between each compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the magnitude and direction of drug movement between a tissue compartment and an adjacent vasculature compartment is based on a tumor diffusivity coefficient of the tissue compartment, a size of the shared boundary between the tissue compartment and the vasculature compartment, and a difference in drug concentration between the tissue compartment and the vasculature compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the magnitude and direction of drug movement between adjacent vascular compartments is based on a direction of blood flow and a magnitude of blood flow. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each compartment of the plurality of compartments is rectangular. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image is a three-dimensional image and the drug distribution model is a three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the imaging is a set of images. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the set of images is a set of image slices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of images is obtained using computed tomography. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each compartment of the plurality of compartments is cuboid. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of compartments are of equal size. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tissue compartments are of equal size. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more vasculature compartments are of equal size. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of advantageous initial parameters comprises one or more injection locations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying the one or more injection locations of the set of advantageous initial parameters using a display. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more injection points are displayed as a heat map. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of advantageous initial parameters comprises a drug delivery modality. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of advantageous initial parameters comprises a drug delivery rate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of advantageous initial parameters comprises a drug delivery dose. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image is obtained by retrieval from an electronic storage device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising guiding one or more injections of a drug according to the advantageous set of initial parameters.